Washing machine



,wmwm

Feb. 20; 1923.

R. D. TITTLE.

WASHING MACHINE.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

FILED JAN. 1922.

3 vwentoz REY/55W 0. 77772 E.

Feb. 20, 1923.

R. D. TITTLE.

WASHING MACHINEI FILED JAN. 13, 1922. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 REY/HEN .a 27.77%:

Feb. 20, 1923. 1,445, 59- 1 I R. 0.1mm,

WASHING MACHINE.

FILED JAN. 13. 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3- Patented Feb. fttl p 1.113111 stats REUBEN n. TITTLE, or sriarnsrrntnolrro.

wasnrn'e Jeannine.

Application inea January is, 19%. s rial 1%. 52am.

Springfield, in the county of Clark and State oi? Ohio. have invented certain new and usetul Improvements in Washing; Machines, of which the tollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to clothes Will'1ll1; machines and is in the nature of an improvement on the application for patent filed by me lilla'rch 2, 195 31 Serial l lo. i iilfifil.

One object of the intention is to provide a Washingnrachine of this typewhicl'i can be manufactured. and assembled in large quantities and at a low cost.

lln manufacturing and assembling the pumpsot a washing machine or this kind. on a sheet metal tub. it is difficult to secure an exact alinement between the eyliiiders and the pistons and piston rods. To secure an exact alinement requires very close workmanship and is not practical when the machine is being manufactured in quantity produ tion. It is. therefore. a further object of the invention to prod'iice machine oi? this kind in which the pumps will operate in a satisfactory manner even though the cylinders and piston rods are not in true alinernent.

In a Washing machine ot this character 9 the cleansing action is secured largely by causin the hot soapy water. or suds. to pass through the clothes being washed and to secure an eflicient cleansing action. a maximum of agitation of the water desirable. lt is. therefor-era further object of the invention to produce a machine of this kind which will cause the water to be torced through the clothes inv practically all parts of the tub and will agitate the whole body oi water in the tub.

A. further object oi? the invention is to provide a simplified and highly eliicient open sting; mechanism for the pim'ips.

Other objects ot the invention will appear as the mechanism is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings F l is a top plan view of a washing); machine eniloodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the frame partly in section; Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3- ot .Flff. 2; Fin. 4; is a vertical sectional view taken centrally through one oi? the pumps and. the vertical wall of thetub; 5 is a plan View of the connection between the piston rod and the cross head al 6 is a side elevation of said connection; l" an elevation oi. the "nozzle plate, or eseutcheon; Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8+8 o't 9 is a section talten on the line A T Fig. 10 a section taken on he line lO--l(i of. Fig. 7; 11 is a section taken on the line ll-ll of Fig. 7; Fig. 12 is a section taken on the line 1 2- 12 of Fig. t;

. Fig. 13 is sectional detail view otthe' driving inechanisn'i; Fig. 14 is a section talzen through the gear housing, showing the drivinggear; Fig, 15 is a detail View of the clutch operatingcam; and Fig. 16 is a tea tional detail View of the piston.

In these .(lrawings l have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown the samemonnted upon a frame which, in the present instance, is formed of angle iron and comprises tonrupright members or corner posts, 1 connected at top and bottom by transverse members 2 and 3. Mounted on the" main frame between the upper and lower transverse members 2 and 3 and forming a part of that frame is a supplemental frame consisting of a bar/i extending diagonally otthe main frame and secured at its ends to the upright corner posts 1. Extending from the other corner posts respectively are two bars 5 rigidly secured at their efnds to said posts and having: their inner ends bent to project laterally therefrom, as shown at 6, and ri idly secured to the bar t, the two bars 5 being); arranged. substantially in line one withthe other. The casting 7 has any-he plates i. which are located in the angles between the bars 42: and 5 rigidly secured to said bars, and serve to reinforce and embrace the same. Mounted within the main frame is a clothes receptacle, or tub, 9 which is here shown as cylindrical in torm and which rests upon the supplemental :lra'me formed of the bars 4: and 5. The main frame is of length somewhat greater than its width and the cylindrical tub fits snugl between the side members 2 thereof, but the end members are spaced some little distance from the walls of the tub. Mounted on the Vertical wall otthe tub 9 and in the present instance arranged on the outside of that tub are a plurality of pu'n'ips, in the present construction tour, which are spaced sub stantially equal distances apart about the tub. These pumps are preferably of the cylinder and piston type and, as here shown, each pump comprises a base 10 having a suction, or inlet, chamber mounted on the supplemental frame and secured to the vertical wall of the tub near the bottom thereof. Each suction chamber has an inlet opening 11 which communicates with the interior of'the tub near the bottom thereof through an opening 12 therein. Arranged within the tub adjacent to the suction chamber of each pump is a nozzle plate, or escutcheon. 13 which forms a clamping plate by means of which the base 10 is secured to the tub and Which has its lower portion an opening 14 in line with the inlet opening 11 of the suction chamber. Preferably the inlet openings 11 and 14 are separated from the clothes in the tub by a screen to prevent the clothes from being drawn into the same and, as here shown, the nozzle plates 13 are provided with lu s 15 upon which a hor zontal screen 16 is supported. This screen is preferably formed in two or more parts, as shown in Fig. 1, to facilitate the placing of the same in position and the removal the same from the tub. Mounted in the upper portion of each suction chamber is a suction valve, 17, here shown as an ordinary flap valve seated upon an inwardly extending flange 18 carried by the walls of the suction chamber. Above this suction valve the base is provided with a discharge opening, or outlet, 19 communicating with the interior of the tub through an opening 20 therein, below the normal. level of the water.

The base, or suction chamber is preferably formed separate from the cylinder itself and, as here shown, has at its upper end a flange 21 upon which the cylinder 22 rests, the cylinder being secured in posi tion by a collar 23 and suitable packing 24lbeing interposed between the parts to provide a tight joint. The cylinder is preferably secured at its upper end to the wall of the tub and has mounted therein a reciprocatory piston 25 carried by a piston rod 26 which extends above the upper end of the cylinder and is adapted to be connected with suitable operating devices, by means of which it is reciprocated in the cylinder and the water drawn into the pump through the openings 11 and 14: and discharged through the openings 19 and 20. More or less water will Work its way past the piston and to prevent this water from being splashed from the upper end of the cylinder I prefer to close the upper ends of the cylinder by a cap 27 having a stulling box 28 for the piston rod. The upper end of the cylinder is provided with a breathing port 29 which may, if desired, communicate with the interior of the tub, thus causing the water which passes through the same to be returned to the tub. This breathing port may be angred either above or below the level of the water within the tub and is preferably provided with a screen 30 to prevent the clothes from entering the same.

In order that the water may be discharged forcibly into the tub and against and through the clothes in. substantially all parts of the tub, I have provided each discharge opening with a nozzle having :1. pl uralitv of discharge openings, and constituting in effect a plurality of nozzles, each of which discha in a different direction. in the pre ent insiaine, the upper portion of the nozzle i3 is arovidcd with a: trans- VQi'SQ com "it ii. the edges of which rest; upon the wall of the tub and which is socureal tl o by bolts 32. The intermcdiatc portion of the coui'luil provided with a longitud nal I-jlOi; consisting of three poitions, each portion constituting in effect :1 separate n le. The portion l?) of the sloi' ructed that the water passing the same will be discharged at :i *ui'd angle. The portion ill of the slot and noyzle so arranged us to discharge the water in a substantially horizontal plane and the port on is so arranggqed as to dis ch c the water upwardly. At the ends of the conduit, beyond the respective bolt 32 other slots or nozzles 36 Which discharge the water in a substant ally limizontal plane and obliquely to the radius of the tub. in this manner the water is dis charged in a thin stream, or streams, in live different directions and is thus caused to come in contact with clothes in variou parts of the tub and to impart a uiaxiuuuu of agitation to the water in the tub.

w of the di'llicuitics encountered in {llQ pump and piston rod in il'lli' alinenient, l have provided limit ng piston. t e body of which can itlSlllliO u inni tiou sligh ly oblin'urlo the pist This p in may he of an suitable character bu-l that here showi'i I. similar to the sl'ou 7 descr bed in tho up; )l ..tiou inc fiugijust 2: i921. It is not necessary to here (l( jl'l/f v oisioi in detail us in; essential c urac'tcristic. so far as (he 'ii'csciu" invention s concerned. is the ability o the pack "3' incuilici' of the piston to uuriuluiu the roper contact with the wall; of the cylinder when the piston rod is not in true alincnieut ti o 'cwith. To this end llua. rod.

ullxi packing m mber 253 is in the form of 11 etvpan lilo ring mounted in the bodv oi the piston and is acted upon by an ci-ipuuih ill) are (N heads am nd. a spherical knob. or ball 2&9

tively thereto Whenthe piston rod is lntliell out of alinement with the same. .ln order to utilize this characteristic of the piston to its tullcst extent l have provided means tor adjustcbly connecting the piston rods with the actuating devices. ln the i'iresent nnrchine the. pumps are operated in pairs and l have arranged on each side or" the b a cross head, or operating bar. 37. the soectire ends or which are connected with i wo of t e piston rods. Preferably the rods tably connected. with the "cross l to this end each rod has at its upper e which is seated in a spherical socket td to proqide for the universal adji nent ot the piston rod. lhesocltet {t divided iiingritudinslly into two parts which are cciiinected with the cross head by means ot bolts {t1 extendin the respective the socket and throug'li truiis "so slots 43 in. the cross head. The openings in the heads 4-2 througrh which the boltsentend are in the form ot longitudinal slots It will be apparent, therefore, that the connection between each pi. on rod and the cross head is universally adyustable. By moving the piston to the top of the cylinder and then adjusting); the coni'iei'ition between the piston rod and the cross head so as to arrange the piston rod in substantially a vertical position, the pisston is enabled to acconnnodate itself to any irregularitiesin theposition ot the cylinder and will notbind or stick therein.

l luch cross head is carried by and actuated "1 operating; rod-t5 ".Vl'l'lcll is inoui'ited tor ver oil slidinsr movement in a bearing l6 carried by the main frame (it the machine end. in the present 'instai'ice shown as iuoitii'ited on an. upright member. or: channel iroin 4-7 secured to the transv ends withthe bracket '7. as shown at' :30. l king: mowiment is imparted to the root: urn. t!) by i'i'uians oi? link 51 connected at n end with the adjacent end 0-2 the re 92 Cttll'lfii'l by bu hing; 53 rotatably mounted in it bearing; i which bearing is carried by one of the bottom frame members 1% and a transvers membe 55. vloin-- iialod. in the bushiiu: o is an oi peratino; sha tt 516 the opposite end oit which is, in the t instance. journaled in bearings 57 to .ed in the side .wallso'r". a gear casing 58. il rranged Withintho casing; and ii'llysecured to the shaft 56 is a gear 531* which meshes with a pinion 60 also ZlOlHH nalod in the. walls of? the .grear' casing: 58

collar t e ineii'ilwrs fiend 3 ol the main frame. These op rat- )l' r arm and at the other endwith a crank arin and connected with the shaft (it which is driven from. a motor (i2. llhe .motor and. the gear ca s; are supported. by the transverse her and a second transverse bar 63; it. suitable clutch connection provided between the bushing 53 of the crank arm 52 and the shaft 56 audas here shown one member of the clutch is formed onthe inner end of a bushin as shown ut and. the other member of the clutch is slidably mounted upon and splined to the shaft. as shown at The slidable member of the clutch Ir s connected th rewith a grooved to receive a shi igl Chill '67 which carried by a sw ft 68 journaled in suitable hearings on the main frame. This shalt has connected therewith a crank arm (if) which is connected by a rod, or pitn'ian. it) with a second crank arm Tl carried by a shaft 72 mounted near the upper end of the main frame and having seci'u'ed thereto a lever 73 by means of Which it may be actuated to reel; the shaft 68 and thus impart inovi-inient to the cam 67 which will shift the movable clutch member from one iiosition to another. It will be noted that the pinion (30 is of small diameter and has but a few teeth while the driving gear 59 is of? a large diameter and has a relatively large number of teeth, thus securing the The operatioi'i of the mechanisn'i will. be

readily understood from the foregoing desoription ot' the several parts thereof and it will be apparent that when the pumps are operated the water will be drawn downwardly through the clothes in the tub, through the screen 16 andthencethrough the suction chai'uber oi the pump into the cylinder. Because oi? the narrow openings in the discharge nozzlesiltl to 36 and the force and speed with which the water is discharged, little, it any. water will be drawn into the cylinder upon the upward movement of the piston, the bulk of the water heta ken in through the suction chamber and valve 17. Upon the downward stroke of the piston the valve 17 will be closed and Whole body of wateriu such a manner as to cause it topass through and through the clothes. in the tub. Inasmuch as thewater is t'orced through the clothes by movements of the piston, that is drawn downwardly through the clothes by the suction stroke of the piston and forcibly discharged through the clothes on the discharge stroke of the piston, a constant circulation and agitation of the water is n'iaintained and a very thorough cleansing action is secured. The mechanis n a whole is very simple in its construction and because oi the character of the mechanism it can be produced and assembled in a wholly satisfactory, operative condition without the necessity of making tine adjustments or of mounting the parts in exactly true positions with relation 0 one to the other. Consequently, it can be produced n large quantities at a low cost. Further. the charzuster oi the mechanism ,is such that there is little likelihood oi any part of it becoming inope ative or being broken, there by reducing the cost oii maintenance to a minimum While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention 1 wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a washing machine, a clothes receptacle, a pump comprising a lower portion having a suction chamber provided with an inlet communicating with said receptacle near the bottom thereof and having an out let communicating with said receptacle at a point spaced from the bottom thereof, a check valve interposed between. said inlet and said outlet, a cylinder mounted on and in open communication with said lower portion, a plate mounted within the wall of said receptacle and rigidly secured to said lower portion of saidpump, said plate having a portion arranged in line with said outlet and constituting a discharge nozzle, a piston mounted in said cylinder, a piston rod connected with said piston, and an actuating device connected with piston rod.

2. In a washing machine, a cloth s recep tacie, apump comprising a lower portion having a suction chamber provided with an inlet communicating with said receptacle near the bottom thereof and having an outlet communicating with said receptacle at a point spaced from the bottom thereof, a. check valve interposed between said inlet and said outlet, a cylinder mounted on and in open communication with said lowerportion, a plate mounted within the wall of said receptacle and rigidly secured to said lower portion of said pump, said plate having a conduit communicating with the outlet for said pump and provided with a plurality or". openings constituting a nozzle and an ranged to discharge water in different dircc tions into said receptacle, :1 piston mounted in Stli'i cylinder, a piston rod for said piston. and an actuating device connected with said piston rod.

3. In a washing machine, a clothes receptacle, a pump comprising a lower portion having a suction chamber provided with an inlet communicating with said receptacle near the bottom thereof and having an outlet communicating with said receptacle at a point spaced from the bottom thereof, a check valve interposed between said inlet and said outlet, a cylinder mounted on and in open comi'uunication with said lower portion, a plate mounted within the wall oi said receptacle and rigidly secured to said lower portion oi? said pump, said plate having a transverse conduit provided at its intermediate portion with a slot having portions arranged to discharge the water into said receptacle in diii erent directions with relation to the horizontal, said conduit also having slots at the ends thereof to discharge the water in said receptacle obliquely to the radius thereof, a piston mounted in said cylinder, a piston rod connected with said piston, and an actuating device connected with said piston rod.

4. In a washing machine, a clothes receptacle, a pump comprising a lower portion having a suction chamber provided with an inlet comn'iunicating with said receptacle near the bottom thereof and having an oul let comu'lunicating with said receptacle at a point spaced from the bottom thereof. a check valve interposed between said inlet and said outlet, a cylinder mounted on and in open communication with said lower portion, a plate mounted within the wall of said receptacle and rigidly secured to said lower portion of" said pump, said plate having an opening in line with said inlet and having a conduit communicating with said outlet, said conduit constituting a nozzle and having openings arranged to dscharge the water in different directions into said receptacle, :1 piston mounted in said cylinder, :1 piston rod for said piston, and an actuating device connected with said piston rod.

5. In a washing machine, a clothes receptacle, a series 01 pumps mounted on and spaced about the walls of said receptacle. each pump comprising a lower portion having an inlet communicating with said receptacle near the bottom thereof, and an outlet communicating with said receptacle at a point spaced from the bottom thereof, :1 check valve interposed between said inlet and said outlet, a cylinder mounted on and in open communication with said lower portion, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod, an actuating device connected with said piston rod, a plate arranged within said receptacle and rigidly secured to the lower pora iness tion of said pump, said plate having an opening communicating wlth the 1nlet to receptacle and each comprising a cylinder having valve controlled connnunication with said receptacle nearthe bottomthercof, and having an outlet communicating with said receptacle at a point spaced from the bottom thereof, a nozzle structure communicating with said outlet to forcibly discharge the water into saidreceptacle, a piston mounted in each cylinder, a piston rod connected with said piston and extending above the top of the cylinder, two cross heads, each connected with a plurality of piston rods, an actuating rod connected with each of said cross heads and mounted for vertical reciprocatory movement, a rock arm pivotally mounted between its ends beneath saidreceptacle and connected at its ends with the respective actuating rods, and means for imparting rockingmovement to said rock arm. I

7. In a washing machine, a clothes receptacle, a plurality of pumps mounted on said receptacle and each comprising a cylinder having valve controlled communication with said receptacle near the bottom thereof, and having an outlet communicating with said receptacle at a point spaced from the bottom thereof, a nozzle structure communicating with said outlet to forcibly discharge the water into said receptacle, a piston mounted in each cylinder, a piston rod connected with each piston and extending above the top of the cylinder, two cross heads, each connected with a plurality of piston rods, an actuating rodconnected with each of said cross heads and mounted for vertical reciprocatory movement, a rock arm pivotally mounted between its ends beneath said receptacle and connected at its ends with the respective actuating rods, a crank arm operatively connected with said rock arm, a drivingshaft, clutch mechanism for connecting said shaft with said rock arm, and means for iniparting reciprocatory movement to said shaft.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto.

, REUBEN D. TITTLE. 

